Herbology for Dummies
by Life.is.Magic
Summary: Herbologist extrodinaire Akari has lived a long life wandering from town to town. A chance meeting with a Harvest Sprite disrupts the monotony of her life. witch!Akari Wizard/Akari
1. Chapter 1

**I recently got into Harvest Moon again. There isn't enough Wizard/Akari fics around, so I thought I'd write my own. Please read and review!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing**

For as long as she can remember, Akari frequently changes her name whenever she moves into a new town. She has gone through so many of them that she barely remembers what has been used. One thing she's sure of is that her true name is Akari, yet to be revealed to anyone but her sentient owl, Gretel.

A trained herbologist, Akari specialises in growing herbs-magical and non-magical-and dabbles in the occasional amulet making and potions. It's a lost art, she thinks, and she tries to impart her knowledge onto the farmers who live in whichever town she wanders into. Because, really, the only thing magical in herbology is the treatment of magical plants but the art of taking care of unmagical plants are largely unmagical as well.

The past few decades of Akari's life involves a great deal of moving around and she's starting to find it rather boring. She has yet to settle down since her master left her to her own devices five decades ago, which made the itch to settle even worse. She's grown tired of the humans who have no appreciation for her art because of their plentiful soil and she's grown tired of travelling for the sake of travelling.

Akari pauses in her musings as a seemingly innocent ball of orange hits her at the side of her face as she's tending to her crops. She panics and was about to throw her pesticide ball at the tiny thing-

"Wait!" it yells.

Akari stops mid throw.

"You can see me?! I'm a harvest sprite!" And thus begins a new chapter in Akari's monotonous life.

Akari learns that Castanet Island is dying. When she hears that the Harvest Goddess tree is dying as well, Akari needs no more convincing. After all, magical beings so do love a challenge. The dying land and its dying deity calls to her compassion, and the need to make land fertile calls to her prowess. Finn, as the harvest sprite is named, is definitely excited to have found his Goddess' saviour.

Gretel, on the other hand, is suspicious.

"Are you quite certain about this? It seems quite convenient for this sprite to suddenly find you," the tawny owl whispers. "Why, I rather think this is an elaborate plot to kidnap you!"

"Y-your owl speaks!" squeaks Finn.

"Well whatever it is, it's sure to be a better adventure than walking around aimlessly," Akari said amusedly to the two small beings.

"You may call me Angela."

 **oOo**

She arrives on the small island using the services of Cain, one of the local ranchers. As she reaches the dilapidated farmhouse, Akari's determination strengthened.

"I've never had a challenge like this before." she murmurs to her companions.

Gretel rolls her eyes.

'First thing's first,' Akari thoughts, 'This land is in desperate need of fertilizers.'

After meeting the Harvest Goddess and promising to finish her quest, and then meeting all the regular townsfolk, she set work on her farm. Though the quality of their living here has decreased severely, everyone is nice enough to give her materials here and there. Most helpful, however, is the acquisitions of her new cow (which she has yet to name) from the lovely family at Horn Ranch. In a herbologist's mind, aside from steady milk supply, the cow provides the pillar of a good soil: manure.

The highlight of her day, however, is feeling the presence of two other magical occupants or in other words, customers! Akari wishes to visit them soon, right after she prepares her land.

 **oOo**

Magicals rarely have a need for sleep, but after backbreaking labour that she finally finished at 4 AM, she passes out on her bed as Finn fitfully sleeps in his makeshift drawer bed and Gretel rolling her eyes at her witch yet again.

 **oOo**

It takes a few days for Akari to settle her crops. Half of the plot contains mundane plants fit for the current season, while the other half contains her magical plants. She's planted amulets around the perimeter of the plot in order to hide the exotic magical ones and in order to deter the regular townsfolk into avoiding her crops.

Gretel has been fuming since they got here and has taken to flying on her own around town. She's unhappy with their current living space ('What does she know,' Akari thinks, 'She's a bird!') but Akari knows she'll come around. Finn's excitement, on the other hand, knows no bounds. As a young sprite, everything is new to him. He asks questions about her plants and he asks questions about her previous travels. Akari tries to patiently answer most, but her exhaustion makes her grouchy. Finn doesn't seem to mind, however.

 **oOo**

Akari ventures into Harmonica Town to look for the male presence. She knocks on the topmost house and waits.

She is about to knock again when she hears his slow footsteps walking towards the door. The door opens, and Akari think she may be in love.

"Yes..?" the Wizard asks.

She coughs a bit to catch herself, blushing a bit, and replies, "I've moved in recently and felt your presence. I'd like to offer my services to provide any magical plants that you may need."

The Wizard looks surprised at her words, before he nods in understanding. She assumes he must now feel her presence, too.

"You may call me Angela." Akari offers her hand to shake.

The right side of the Wizard's mouth quirks up a bit in amusement, knowing that Akari is not offering her real name. He then shakes her outstretched hand.

"You may.. call me Wizard."

She likes to think that there was a spark when their hands met, but it's likely a figment of her overactive imagination.

"Say, Wizard, do you happen to know where the other magical dwells? I know the general direction, but the area feels fuzzy." she asks.

"She lives.. in the forest.. in Flute Fields. It is.. cursed.. to hide her.. Here, take this.. It would lessen.. the effects.." the Wizard hands her a tear shaped amber.

"Thanks a lot! I hope to hear from you soon." Akari bows at Wizard.

Life in Castanet Island is definitely, absolutely, much more interesting.

 **oOo**

Walking to the general direction to the forest she now knows as Fugue Forest, Akari whistles jauntily. Meeting Wizard certainly lifted up her spirit even more, and brings back memories of when she was younger and discovering the opposite gender. He certainly embodies the Dark, Tall and Handsome fella in the trashy romance novels that Master secretly owned and that Akari secretly read.

She startles as Gretel lands on her shoulder.

"I saw you with that man." she states with no preamble. Akari can hear the smirk in her voice and rolls her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**I am officially an adult lol. Haven't played any HM games in a long while due to work. But sometimes you just need an escape from life. Below is a quick look at Akari's humble beginnings.**

When little wizards and witches are born, they are a mass magic given the form of a human baby. Little is known on why these masses of magics form and even littler still the tinier magical lump beside them. Familiars, they call them. They are inherently aware of their companions and protect them fiercely. Yet they do not evolve into their final form until their companion can name them.

Akari was formed by the foot of a mountain. A crying baby alone by the trees, real humans know to avoid the sudden appearance and wail of a child. It is unnatural, they think. Many folklores speculate on the presence of such beings, but they all agree on one thing: it brings nothing but trouble.

Master follows the whisperings of the humanlings. He hums in curiosity and scrunches his brows in frustration. A crying baby and all these hare brained fools think it a monster?! He stiffles a sigh of frustration while a ginger tabby cat flicks its tail impatiently against his calf.

'This is unbecoming of you,' a female voice hisses in his mind. 'Pick up the magcling and let's go. Never mind the little fools! I do not feel comfortable being surrounded by so many of them.'

Master ignores his prickly companion and resumes a leisurely walk to the source of town gossip.

The cat grumbles in his mind. Muttering and complaining until-

'Will you shut up, Nekona? Do you want the humanlings to catch sight of us picking up the babe? No, it is best for us to slowly make our way there and reach at nightfall.' he viciously snapped to his companion.

Nekona rolls her eyes but keeps quiet.

A few more hours of travel and they reach the dimly glowing bundle as the sun becomes a little blotch in the sky. Sensing a foreign being, the magicling prepares her little lungs for a good cry, but the glowing magical bundle nudges her right cheek in comfort.

'Hush, my little hatchling, hush. They are here for us.'

Master picks up the babe (when did a bundle of cloth appear around her, he thinks) awkwardly in his arms as Nekona stares in fascination. Nekona then smirks. She wishes she can forever engrave this moment onto stone and hang it on the wall by their tiny hut. She knows that she will never let Master off for this moment. But...

She knows that she and Master will protect this child with all their being.

After a while, the little bundle of joy opens her eyes and for the first time in a long while, Master smiles a happy smile.

This is how the master and the apprentice begin-how a partnership akin to a parent and a child in wizarding terms are created.

 **oOo**

"I think I shall name you Akari. Keep your name safe, little one."

 **oOo**

Akari was born by the mountains surrounded by luscious flora. She is the daughter of the mountain in all the ways that matter. Her interest in the richness of nature is no coincidence at all.

 **A/N: I'm not sure where this story will take me but we shall see where my creative juice leads us. Let me know any thoughts/feedback so far :)**


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